


Graduation Gift

by Morgana



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Supernatural
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-23
Updated: 2013-05-23
Packaged: 2017-12-12 07:17:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/808815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Morgana/pseuds/Morgana
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean wants to get Sam the perfect gift</p>
            </blockquote>





	Graduation Gift

He walks into the shop on a quiet Tuesday morning. It's an hour or two after you opened and for a moment, you wonder if Xander was playing with the wrong books and somehow summoned a version of yourself from the past or some alternate dimension. It's not the leather or the clothing that remind you so strongly of who you used to be (although those are part of it). No, it's something in his bearing, a devil-may-care stance that beckons the world to bring on its worst and says he'd welcome the challenge.  
  
Maybe his resemblance to your younger self is what makes you tense up when he walks in and goes straight for the powerful books, although you'd like to think that you're conscientious enough to be concerned when anyone you don't know starts looking at those particular books. Still, you walk over to him to make sure he knows what he's doing. "Is there something I can help you with?"  
  
He turns to look at you, and that's when you get a good look at him. He's really much prettier than you ever were, pretty enough that it's probably caused him a few problems, but it's his eyes that break your heart. His eyes are almost exactly like Buffy's - old before their time, the eyes of a boy who's seen far more than he should've, the eyes of someone who knows just what kind of creatures are out there in the darkness. Dear God, another child warrior. Why? And where did he come from?  
  
Your questions have to wait, though, because he's talking. "- know it's not really the usual thing, but I know he's gonna need it, so I figured it'd be better than some stupid computer."  
  
"I'm sorry, but what were you looking for, again?"  
  
He doesn't answer right away; instead, he stares at the books, then turns his attention to you and you know he's wondering if he can trust you. Finally, he says, "I want a protection spell. For my brother."  
  
It's not an uncommon request, although you doubt he's talking about general protection, which will make it harder. But before you can say anything, he blurts out, "And I don't want him to know about it."  
  
That makes it a lot harder. Not undoable, but more difficult. "I think the best spell for you would probably come from Thernadier's Compendium. Unfortunately, I don't have a copy of it here, but I can get one. If you'd like to leave your address with me, I can have the spell and its ingredients delivered in about a week."  
  
He hesitates and somehow you know he's trying to figure out if he'll still be in town in a week. Finally, he says, "We're staying over on Rosemont Avenue."  
  
There's only one possible place it could be in that area. "The Jefferson house?" You know it - it's a dilapidated wreck that a strong wind could probably tear down. But you try not to look surprised when he nods, and if you ring his order up with a discount and don't charge him for the incense you know he'll need, nobody will know about it except yourself. One of the perks of owning your own shop, really.  
  
He pays in cash, and you try not to visibly react to the rumpled bills he hands over. Instead, you smooth them out and put them away, then write up the slip and hand it to him. "I should be able to have these for you by Monday, at the latest," you assure him. It will give him a week before the full moon, to read the spell and prepare. Something tells you he won't need the entire week.  
  
"Thanks." He turns and walks away without any further conversation. You hope his brother appreciates the lengths he's willing to go to to keep him safe.


End file.
